Fence-splicer.



J. L. GREENFIELD.-

FENCE SPLICER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1916.

L mem@ Jan. 22, 1918.

` maigres.

JAMES L. GBEENFIELD, OF SANDWICH, LLI'NOIS.

FENCE-SPLICER.

Application filed April 19, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. GREENFIELD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sandwich, county of Dekalb, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Splicers, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to wire working tools, and more especially to a tool which is particularly useful fork splicing woven wire fences. These fences are frequently made from such stout wire and with such small meshes that the winding of the ends of the wire strands of one section about the strands of an adjacent section to make a splice is generally very inconvenient, and sometimes quite impossible, with the tools which have been heretofore available for this purpose.

The object of the invention is accordingly to provide a tool which may be conveniently used for splicing stout wire, even in such restrictedspaee as is provided by the meshes of woven wire fencing.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of a woven wire fence, showing a splice of the form which may be made with the tool provided by the invention, y

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the fence with the improved splicing tool applied thereto,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the splicing tool showing means by which the same may be rotated when in use.

Each of the sections, as 10, 11 of a woven wire fence will usually consist of aplurality of longitudinal strands or sowcalled line wires, as 12, 13 or 14, 15, and a series of transverse or upright strands, as 16 and 17. In the form of construction illustrated, these two sets of strands are arranged to provide rectangular meshes, as 18 and 19. For this purpose the strands of the two sets are connected at the places of intersect-ion in any convenient manner, as by winding a separate piece of wire 20 about the intersecting strands. 1n splicing the two sections as 10 and 11, the corresponding line wires, as 12, le and 18, 15 are overlapped to bring the Vtransverse strands 16, 17 at the adjacent ends of the two sections in a close relation. The end of each line wire 13, 111, 15, 16 is then Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1212..

Serial No. 92,129.

wrapped about the corresponding line wire of the other section beyond the said termi nal transverse strand 16 or 17, at 21, 22, 23 and 21 (Fig. 1).

The size of the meshes, as 18, 19 is frcquently such as to prevent the use of ordinary pliers for making the splices by an operator working at one side of the fence. The invention accordingly contemplates a cylinder which rotatably applied to one of the line wires, as 14, for winding the end of another line wire, as 12, about the same. As the cylinder 25 must be applied to the line wire, as 141, between two transverse or upright strands, as 17, it is formed in two separable parts, as 26 and 27. As shown, the two parts 26, 27, of the cylinder 25, are so formed as to provide a longitudinal dove tail tongue 2S and groove 29 upon the ineeting faces of the two parts. These parts are accordingly tted together and interlocked by a relative endwise movement between the same. A groove 30 formed in the tongue 2S and extending centrally through the same from end to end provides a central opening through the cylinder 25 for receiving the line wire, as 11, upon which the cylinder is to be rotated.

The engagement of the cylinder with the end of the line wire, as 12, which is to be wrapped about the line wire, as 14e, on which the cylinder is rotated, is accomplished by providing one of the sections, as 27, of the cylinder, with a longitudinal projection 31 at one end. As shown, the projection 31 is provided with an aperture 32 which extends in a radial direction with reference to the axis of the cylinder, the aperture 32 and the groove S0 being both of sutticient size to loosely receive the largest size of wire with which the device will be used.

When the sections, as 10 and 11 of the fence have been brought together for mal:- ing the desired splice, the end of one of the line wires, as 12, is threaded into the aperture 32 of the part 27 of the cylinder and this part of the cylinder is then applied to the corresponding line wire, as 111, of the other section, in such manner that the lastmentioned line wire lies in the groove 30. The other part 26 of the cylinder 25 is then connected with the part 27 by an endwise movement through which the tongue and groove 29 are interlocled, l/Vhen, the parts have been assembled in this way, rotation of the cylinder serves to wrap the end ol" the line Wire, as l2, oi' one section of the fence, aboutl the corresponding line Wire, as lll of the adjacent section.

The said rotation of the cylinder 25 is most conveniently accomplished by the use of a paii of nippers of the form generally designated 33, in Fig. 3. One or the jaws, as 34 of the nippers 33, is rounded to provide a. seat for the cylinder 25 at one side. The other jaw, as 35, ot the nippers is substantially straight for engaging the opposite side of the cylinder. rlhis engagement of the nippers with the cjf'liinler :25 will be more effective for rotating the saine if theexterior surface o'l" the cylinder is longitudinally ribbed, as at 36. T he rotation oi the cylinder 25 upon any one of the line Wires, as 14, is preferably continued until substantially all that part ol' the corresponding line Wire,

as l2 of the ad'aceiit section of the tence has been rolled into a coil, as 22. The cylinder 25 is then applied to other line Wires, as l2, 13 and l5, and used in the saine manner until the splice has been completed. The iinproved tool permits or all parts of the splice being made by a single operator working Jfrom one side of the fence. Furthermore, the splice, when completed, is more effective and of an improved appearance as compa red with splices made by hand or with the tools heretofore in use, even though the fence may be formed of stout wire and with very small meshes. Y

I claim as my invention,- l. In adevice of the kind described, in combination, a pair 'of cylinder parts constructed'to interlock by relative longitudinal Y movement, and one of the'said parts being longitudinally grooved to provide an axial opening through the cylinder formed by the interlocking of the said parts, and a lug projecting :trom the end of one of thesaid parts. Y

2. In a device oit the kind described, in combination, a pair of cylinder parts constructed to interlock by relative longitudinal movement, and one of the said parts being longitudinally grooved to provide an axial opening through the cylinder formed by the interlocking of the said parts, and an apertured lug projecting from the end of one of the said parts,.the aperture of the lug being substantially radial to the axis of the said cylinder.

3. In a fence splieer, in combination, a cylinder divided upon a central longitudinal plane, the two parts of the cylinder having their meeting faces formed with compleinentary longitudinal dovetail tongue and groove, and the part having the tongue being longitudinally -grooved centrally along the tongue, and an apertured lug projecting from one end of the said part of the cylinder having the tongue, the aperture ol the lug being substantially radial to the axis of the said cylinder. Y

JAMES L. GREENFIEIJD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

